Search form

Search

Sparks Health, Trimble receive awards

Submitted by The City Wire Staff on Wed, 10/10/2012 - 6:06pm

The CEO of Sparks Health System and the hospital system have recently received recognition.

CEO Melody Trimble was named Administrator of the Year award at the annual Arkansas Hospital Auxiliary Association convention. Administrators are nominated by their auxiliaries, and nominations are judged out of state. Awards are given in two categories: hospitals with up to 100 licensed beds, and hospitals with more than 100 licensed beds.

Trimble was recognized in the “Over 100 Bed” category, and was nominated by Laurie Barkley, president of the Sparks Guild, who praised the CEO’s participation in a number of auxiliary events and initiatives.

According to Sparks, Trimble is the first female administrator to receive the annual award in the “Over 100 Bed” category since 1995. She is also the first representative of Sparks Health System to ever receive the honor. An administrator is eligible to receive this award only once.

Also, Sparks Regional Medical Center is one of 27 Arkansas hospitals, and the only one in the Fort Smith area, to receive the Arkansas Medicaid Inpatient Quality Incentive award.

The Inpatient Quality Incentive program tracks hospitals’ performance in several “quality measures,” which are proven to improve outcomes for patients. Sparks was praised for meeting goals in improved care coordination, prevention of surgical infection and care for obstetrics and venous thromboembolism prophylaxis.

Sparks received the award from the Arkansas Department of Human Services, the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care and the Arkansas Hospital Association.

Advertisement:

“This is a reflection of our commitment to put patients first,” said Trimble, who is CEO of Sparks Health System in Fort Smith and Summit Medical Center in Van Buren. “I’m proud of our associates. It takes a lot of work by a lot of people to be recognized for quality care again.”

In September, Sparks and Summit became the only hospitals in the Fort Smith area to be named among the nation’s Top Performers on Key Quality Measures by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America.